


The Woods, Man

by TheIcyMage



Series: Transcendence AU [4]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Transcendence AU, gravity falls : transcendence au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 08:07:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5121101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIcyMage/pseuds/TheIcyMage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wiley expected her trip to Gravity Falls to end after her last asthma attack sent her to the hospital. However, her friend Dekura Pines convinced her to stay for an eventful night known to the locals as Summerween .</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Woods, Man

**Author's Note:**

> Also on Tumblr here: http://theitalianscribe.tumblr.com/post/132320393256/the-woods-man.   
> A continuation from This Was Not The Usual Summoning. I don't know how clear this is, but Wiley's family is staying with Dekura's family. Happy belated Halloween!

After her last attack had sent her to the hospital, Wiley had expected their road trip to be cut short. However, Dekura and her family had insisted that they stay in Gravity Falls one more day to enjoy the festivities of a holiday the locals celebrated, called Summerween.  
“It’s like Halloween, but in the summer.” Dekura explained as she searched through Wiley’s luggage.  
“I’m guessing you want to find something we can use as a costume?”  
“Yep. You can borrow one of mime if we can’t find anything, but something of yours would fit better. Oh!” She reached the bottom and revealed a fold of green fabric. “This is perfect!”  
Wiley turned away and felt her face get hot at the article of clothing in question.  
“Those are my pajamas,” she admitted in a small voice.  
“But it looks like..”  
“It’s a dinosaur onesie.”  
“I knew you liked dinosaurs, but not this much.”  
“They were a gift from my grandma. I haven’t grown out of them yet and I didn’t have anything else for cold nights, so I brought them.” She explained.  
The room grew cold and silent.  
“No, no, it’s fine. We can get you something else, but if you put your hiking boots on over them, no one would care.” Lean turned to see Dekura waving her hands in protest.  
Dekura jumped up and began rummaging through her closet.  
“Look, I still fit in my teddy bear hoodie. I can wear some brown sweats and buy a clip on tail and we could go as animals.”  
A cloud of shame-pink flittered around Dekura when she looked at the old sweater, but there were also flecks of determination-purple and hope-yellow. Wiley took these colors in with her friend’s expectant look and realized just how much she wanted this.  
“Alright, but I get five pieces of your haul.”  
\--  
Going from door to door in one’s more juvenile wear can be an embarrassing experience. Being chaperoned by two chattering mothers only makes the night slower and more difficult. But that was what the two eleven-year-olds had to deal with, and they dealt with it fairly well. Wiley was enjoying an extra night in Gravity Falls. Everyone’s emotions seemed to stay in the same spectrum of happy-excited and there were fewer people than in her city at home. It was a lot easier on the eyes. Dekura also knew everyone in town and who typically had candy and where the best starting point was. It was one of the best Halloweens she had experienced.

After twenty minutes or so of trick-or-treating, they had reached the end of a street and their parents were leisurely lagging five houses away. The girls tried sitting back to wait, but quickly grew impatient. The longer they took, the less candy they would get!  
“I know a shortcut,” Dekura mused, “There’s this one house that has the best candy, just through that forest.”  
Wiley followed her friend’s gaze. Near one of the first buildings they hit, a library with tons of books and creatures from before the Transcendence, there was a path leading to a forest.  
“At the rate we’re going, it would be faster to get candy from there than to walk to the next street.”  
“But won’t we get more candy if we wait?”  
“Psh! This house gives huge handfuls of candy.” Dekura made her way towards the library.  
Wiley looked behind her. Their mothers had paused to admire the decoration of one house.  
“But-”  
“Our moms can see where we’re going. They’ll catch up. Come on!”  
Wiley took one last look at the women before rushing after her friend.  
“Comming!”  
\---  
It felt like they had been walking for hours. The bumpy padding of her pajamas had gone from feeling weird to being an annoyance. Dekura was still marching forward, but her strides looked less confident and the purple was fading from her aura.  
“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” She asked.  
“Totally. I walk through here all the time,” she picked up a tree branch and plucked off a few leafs, “The people who run the Library are family. Pretty much everyone here is. Someone always knows when I wander through here.”  
Did their parents know they were wandering through there now? She looked behind them, but saw no sign of her mother. Just like the last few times she checked.  
“How did you find this place?” It was getting darker. They passed a tree that looked familiar. Then again, every tree looked the same.  
“Well, one day I was on a walk, then I fell asleep. When I woke up, this log cabin was really close. I didn’t see anyone inside, but when I left, there was a bag by the door. It was full of candy and had a map that led me home.”  
“Wait, were you lost then? Have you actually come here and back after that?”  
“Well…”  
“Not even on a Hallo...Summerween?!”  
“Ummm.”  
“You sounded like you knew! Where did that stuff about giving away handfuls of candy come from?”  
“Oh! I went there after Halloween. I figured that the candy was leftover. No one really goes this far into the forest.”  
Suddenly a wave of emotions washed over Wiley. First anger, then uncertainty, then a fear that pooled and stayed with her. She felt herself wading in this fear when a crunch of leaves sounded nearby. She stepped closer to Dekura. They shared a look. Dekura’s face was pale and a bright orange fear swirled around her.  
“‘No one comes this far,’” Wiley repeated, “Did you mean just humans, or monsters too?”  
“Most of the not-human people here live in the town. The others live in a different part of the forest. They say this area is Pines territory.”  
Crunch! Crunch! Crack!  
In the distance to the right, a faint light was approaching. It flickered like the flames of those jack-o-mellons that rested in front of every house. Wiley didn’t realize just how late it was getting until the flames highlighted to dark of night. It was almost a relief to see moving light.  
Then she realized the light was coming from a lantern. Not a lantern carried by arm. No. This being, creature, monster, this thing growing nearer. Was carring it by one of the many hands dangling from its antlers.

She ran. Wiley grabbed Dekura’s arm and took off towards the direction they came from. Dekura picked up the pace and the girls pushed harder. Soon she reached what should have been her limit. Exhaustion was pressing toward her, but not as fast and not as soon as before. Not questioning this change in her lungs, she pushed herself even more. Behind them, there was a clacking and jingling. 

Diminished asthma was one thing. Stamina was another. The endless abyss of trees was still around them when she reached her new limit.  
“You okay?”  
“I need to stop. Maybe we can hide in a tree?”  
“How well can you climb?”  
“Not very. But I can.”  
“Over here, then.”  
Dekura pulled her to a nearby pine tree. She unbuckled the belt that her puffy costume tail was looped through and hooked it around the tree.  
“Hop on my back.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Trust me.”  
Wiley nodded and swung her arms around Dekura’s back. They were a little wobbly, but the girl was surprisingly strong. Still, Wiley shut her eyes until her friend patted her hands. When she opened her eyes, she saw a long, sturdy branch. Dekura shimmied just above it and told Wiley to climb on first. She unbuckled her belt again and Wiley carefully stepped onto the branch and scooted back to give her friend room. Once they were both safely on, they risked a peek below. The lights were getting closer. Wiley tried to stay perfectly still while the monster crept towards their tree. She found herself leaning for a better view when he was practically below. 

It leaned against the tree and one of the hands began knocking on the trunk rhythmically. Maybe it was from the running or maybe it was the fear, but Wiley’s heard pounded so heavily at the moment that she could feel it in her throat. Hoping her hardest that the noise was kept to herself, she shut her eyes again.

Something was moving in the tree. It was slow, but Wiley felt the need to grip on the branch even tighter. Suddenly, Wiley felt herself slide off the tree and into something nubby. The next weary sight she took in was a valley of hands attached to long, round structures that were shaped like antlers of a moose, but looked like branches of oak and pine and nameless other trees. The bed of hands caught Dekura next. Her friend mouthed, “Roll off on three,” and held up three fingers, two fingers, one. They rolled off of the bed of hands. And were pulled into a hug.

A bundle of its arm applied soothing motions to her back. Some rubbed it, some traced gentle circles, and some patted her slowly. The creature murmured into her hair with a voice that was like a whisper of the wind, “Sapling.”

When she pulled out of the embrace, Wiley asked, “Excuse me, wha-who are you.”  
The creature didn’t answer. Dekura pulled out of the hug as well and took in its features.  
“You’re real?” she gasped. “Mom told me stories, but I just thought…”  
Vibrant violets and greens of wonder surrounded Dekura, “Woodsman?”  
\---  
The Woodsman carried Wiley on its? his? shoulders while Dekura relayed his legend, following close at his side.  
“You know how branches of trees look like arms and the twigs look like fingers?”  
“Yes.”  
“Well, legend has it that they were arms. The Woodsman wanders through parks and forests, protecting the trees and lost children inside. If dangerous adults cross his path, he’ll raise his axe-arm and chop off their hands so they can’t take the children away or cut down any of his trees. The hands dangling off his antlers are from these bad people, but since they are a part of him now, they’re good. The really bad people, he’ll cut their lives short and turn their bodies into trees that keep a look out for lost children.”  
“So we really were lost.”  
“Yeah,” she rubbed her neck, “sorry. But we won’t be anymore! I bet he knows this forest like the back of his hand.”  
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before they reached a house made of old logs. The Woodsman set her down by a porch swing that seemed somehow familiar and held up a hand. The girls got the message. Wait.  
A moment later, he returned with two crochet bags. Wiley’s was filled to the top with a plethora of her favorite candies. At the side, there was a rolled-up piece of paper. A row of Tootsie Rolls fell out. It was a map. In the middle was a blue glowing outline of a fire that changed position with her movements. Next to it was the purple outline of an ice bag.  
“Aw, what? Most of these are cinnamon and black licorice. Yuck!”  
Wiley saw a similar roll of paper sticking out of Dekura’s bag.  
“Trick or treat?” Wiley called to the Woodsman. He shut the door and held out his hand to Wiley. She looked it over. No trace of an axe or any metal. She took it, swung her bag around her shoulder, and held her free hand to Dekura. The three walked on. 

He left them just where they could see faint light in the near distance.  
“Aren’t you going to see us to the rest of the way?”  
He shook his head. The hands swayed from his antlers, but that didn’t deter them from waving goodbye. Wiley looked at each of them. They seemed to have minds of their own and now that she was in better lighting and lighter spirit, she could make out an aura coming from each of them. Some of them had matching colors and patterns, but they only came in pairs. All of them seemed some shade of relieved and happy, but anxious. She understood.  
“Thank you.” She called as she took a few steps backward.  
He nodded and waved the hand she hadn’t held. Something in his palm shined. She paused at this, but Dekura pulled her along, checking her own map to make sure they were in fact approaching the library. She gave the figure one more look and a quick wave back before turning after her friend.

Not even a minute after they came out of the forest, each girl was pulled into a hug. Wiley grimaced at the yellowish green that pulsed from her mother.  
“We’re so sorry!” She quickly told her, “We thought…” her voice trailed off. Why had they gone in the forest again? It felt like ages since they left. “But we’ve been lost in there for hours and we’re so glad to see you!”  
Both mothers looked at Wiley in confusion.  
“Honey,” Dekura’s mother started, “You were gone for long, but not longer than half an hour.”  
“I don’t understand.” Dekura and Wiley looked at each other.  
“Several hours of several minutes,” Wiley’s mother spoke up, ”We were worried sick! I think we should spend the rest of the night at home.”  
“And no candy for the rest of the night.” Dekura’s mother added.  
“Good.” Dekura thrust her crochet bag into her mother’s arms, “I hate cinnamon.”  
\---  
The following morning, Wiley’s family loaded their van and said their goodbyes.  
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Wiley’s father said.  
“Don’t mention it. We weren’t going to let some of the first tourists we’ve had in ages stay in some hotel.” Dekura’s mother insisted.  
“You’re going to email me, right?” Wiley hugged Dekura  
“As soon as I’m not grounded anymore.” Dekura squeezed her tightly.

The family of three piled into their van and waved goodbye. As they passed a sign saying, “Now Leaving Gravity Falls,” Wiley decided to ask, “Can we come back next year?”  
Neither parent responded. Her father stared at the road and clicked his tongue thoughtfully. Her mother studied the electronic road map.  
“Is that where you want your attraction point to be? We’ll have to skip Tourastic Park.” Her father asked.  
She contemplated her options. Every year, Tourastic Park added a new holographic display. It was a true testiment to how, even now, they were still making discoveries about the prehistoric era. On the other hand…  
“Yes. I want to see my friend again and celebrate Summerween with a real costume.”  
Her mother hummed in agreement, “then Gravity Falls it is. Just,” she turned around in the passenger seat to look at her daughter, “Promise me you and Dekura won’t go wandering into the forest without an adult.”  
“Even if it’s to visit a friend?”  
“What friend did you make in the forest?”

Wiley watched the patches of plant life pass outside her window. She smiled to herself. “A handy one.”


End file.
